Our journey from Hay-on-Wye to Blackpool took us through the beautiful English countryside. We didn't have any specific stops planned along the way, which left us open to discovery. This was one of the best drives during our road trip.
Instead of a full lunch, we pulled off in Northwich and had afternoon tea at Davenports Tea Room.
Davenports Tea Room
Davenports Tea Room was an amazing find. The tea room is broken up into three sections and it is themed after the works of local author, Lewis Carroll.
We arrived without reservations and we were lucky get a table. Davenports is very popular! We were seated on a love seat tucked into a corner in the front room. The spot offered a great vantage point for people and food watching. We sat right next to the case of cakes and desserts. This was a tease, as everything looked so scrumptious. Instead of a traditional table, our food was served on a rolling cart.
Dan ordered a Victoria Sponge Cake and I had a scone with our House Blend Tea.
As an American, Davenports Tea Room is exactly how I pictured a proper English tea experience. I didn't spend my UK trip trying different afternoon teas to make a comparison, so I'm not sure where Davenports actually falls on the spectrum. In any case, it was a fabulous experience that I highly recommend.
On the way out, we noticed a pretty garden and classic cars in a garage. Davenports Tea Room has character.
Sometimes, there are road signs that compel you to take a detour. We saw a sign that read "Camelot" and without hesitation, we drove about thirty miles off the highway to check it out.
Until we spotted what looked like a roller coaster peeking through the thick forrest, we hoped, but didn't know, that Camelot was a theme park.
Sadly, Camelot was our Walley World moment.
It wasn't just closed for the season, it had been closed for a long time.
Camelot was very much closed.
We walked around the parking lot and tried to catch glimpses of the park through the gates.
The hotel associated with Camelot is still open and was hosting a big wedding reception.
Hotel next to Camelot
They even have a Medieval Times type of show.
Medieval Times is a better name!
The best thing at Camelot = DUCKS!!!
Near Camelot, we found Heskin Hall, a farmers market and craft center.
Heskin Hall is a great place for craft and antique lovers. They have several large rooms with stalls of local vendors selling handmade goods. We picked up locally produced potato chips and lemonade for a snack. The rose lemonade was delicious.
Heskin Hall wins points for having cows that greeted us on the drive way.
Heskin Hall cows!